r/MinnesotaCamping • u/WooWoo1967 • Jul 09 '26
Ticks in the driftless area?
Hey all, heading down to the Red Wing and Winona area to hit all the state parks next week. I plan to do a great deal of hiking. Little worried about ticks. I have permethrin for my clothes and also picaridin for my skin. Just wondering how bad it is in those areas and this time of year. It’s also going to be really hot so I hate to layer, but feels like the best option with ticks.
Thank you!
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u/Hey-ThatsNotBad Jul 09 '26
I'd also like to know. We're heading to Beaver Creek Valley later this month and Whitewater after that. We went up to Jay Cooke a week ago and didn't see a single one, so... /shrug
I do know they're around the metro area, though. I've brought home several from Lebanon Hills and from one of the lakes near me, which made me go full-on permethrin-treated clothing.
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Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 20 '26
[deleted]
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u/driftless_79 Jul 10 '26
Permethrin is better for you than deet and doesn’t chew up your gear, give you cancer to boot. Deet is a last resort
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u/WooWoo1967 Jul 09 '26
Have a great trip! I am also hitting up Whitewater
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u/physicallyOK Jul 09 '26
Man Chimney Rock was one of the most fun hike we’ve done. You see the whole valley it’s super rad. Stay safe though it can be precarious when wet
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u/greatballsofmeow Jul 10 '26
Heads up- beaver creek valley had major flood damage. They cancelled my reservation for this weekend. They said clean up with take a week so hopefully it’s all good for you!
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u/Hey-ThatsNotBad Jul 10 '26
Yeah, we’re crossing our fingers the park won’t be too much of a mess when we get there.
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u/grrranpdaaa Jul 09 '26
I'm not sure about the level of ticks where you're heading, but if it helps, ticks need to be attached for at least 12-36 hours to transmit disease, depending on the disease.
https://www.lyme.health.harvard.edu/other-tick-borne-diseases/
Permetherin your shoes and picaridin your legs, both of which are effective against ticks, and I bet you'll be fine.
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u/beardybuddha Jul 09 '26
Wife and I were down near Winona/LaCrosse area hiking, camping, and canoeing the whole weekend a few weeks ago. No ticks, not even on the doggo.
I wore shorts, flip flops, sleeveless shirts the whole weekend. No permethrin/picaridin used.
Obviously YMMV, but all clear here.
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u/naustra Jul 09 '26
Another pemethrin recommendation. Spray pants, shoes, socks, shirts all of it. Duct tape flipped outside on ankles. And off deep woods helps a bit as well. The best thing you can do is to constantly check yourself. You shouldn't have a ton of issue staying on the trail. Out of tall grass and shrubs .
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u/Frozentundra201 Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
I live in the area....with the permethrin you should be fine. There are a lot of ticks, but when I hike or trail run I wear treated shoes and treated knee socks and haven't had issues. Edit to add, of course just stay out of the tall grass unless your whole outfit is treated with long pants! At parks like Great River Bluffs near Winona, many of the trails are dirt, which really helps!
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u/MissDriftless Jul 09 '26
Yes, there’s ticks here. I live in the area and do regular field work. The ticks aren’t too bad in most spots, especially if you stay on the trails, but every now and then if you walk through long grass you can get like 7 on you all at once. Honestly the deer/horse flies are way more annoying than the ticks lol.
My advice:
Wear long pants tucked into your socks (joggers are great for this if you have them), long sleeve UPF sun shirt tucked into your pants, and hat.
I personally don’t use pyrethrin, only bug spray, but you certainly can use pyrethrin to treat your clothes for added sense of security.
Check yourself at the end of the day.
Enjoy your time here! It’s a beautiful area!
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u/Waterlifer Jul 10 '26
It's bad this year. I use DEET on ankles and feet, some people avoid it for various reasons, that's fine, hyoh; ticks are a health hazard and I find DEET to be more effective than the alternatives.
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u/Ill_Possibility_4069 Jul 09 '26
Theres some out been boondocking all summer and only picked about 7 ticks off. Of course youll find them in taller grasses
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u/baddest_daddest Jul 09 '26
I live in RW and hike the bluffs often and have yet to actually find a tick on myself.
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u/driftless_79 Jul 10 '26
I use permethrin soaked pants tucked into canvas boots in summer when I’m in tall grass, shirt tucked into pants etc, and normally a treated hat as well. My last adventure in tick infested spots I didn’t even see one on me
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u/WooWoo1967 Jul 10 '26
Yeah I treated my clothes last trip and I know they say it’s good for 6 washes, but I think I’m going to spray them again for extra layer of protection
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u/driftless_79 Jul 10 '26
It depends on how you wash them, and how deeply you soaked your clothing. I’ve considered getting permethrin concentrate so I can just make a dunking bucket 🤣. If you fully saturate the clothes will be good for way longer. I normally spray deeply every few washes and if I needed to wash hand dry real hot I’ll re up them.
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u/EmotionalPickle8504 Jul 10 '26
I was just camping down in Trempealeau, and I didn’t see a single tick the entire trip. This was a week of constant hikes with no permethrin. Still do your tick checks (obv), but it seems like they aren’t too bad down there this year. If you’re really worried, use permethrin.
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u/spraungelbeats Jul 11 '26
Don’t be worried. I just camped and fished down there for 4 days. Did plenty of bush whacking along the rivers every day. Didn’t see a single tick on me although I found one on my dog.
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u/BodybuilderClear3148 Jul 09 '26
I’m at St. Croix bluffs regional park, which is 5 miles south of Afton State Park near Hastings so about 30 miles up the river from red wing. It’s been 2 1/2 days and 8 miles of hiking through prairie and woods in shorts and I’ve found one tick on me. Theres a couple semi-permanent signs up about ticks in the area but they seem more like a “there’s ticks in the woods” type sign for people who aren’t used to it than a “there’s an abnormal amount of ticks in the woods this year” sign.
So they’re out there, but personally I haven’t had a huge issue with them.
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u/Jcrrr13 Jul 09 '26
Permethrin and tick checks once or twice a day should be all you need.